Pot Roast Dinner. This is a recipe for good old fashioned Sunday Pot Roast Dinner. A beef roast is seared and then oven roasted in a Dutch Oven or Roasting Pan. This easy pot roast recipe is pure and honest comfort food at its best.
Pot Roast Dinner History
When we talk about the comfort food we love as adults, the conversation most always turns to the things we loved as a child.
Every Sunday before church, my mom would put a pot roast in the oven to slow roast. When we’d return home, the house smelled so wonderful, so savory, so homey, and so comforting. Why not make your favorite meal from your childhood today. It will make you smile.
By noon, we’d be at the dining room table and enjoying our traditional Sunday Pot Roast Dinner. And all of it slathered in beef gravy.
Here’s my mom’s version of this slow roasted meal.
How to Make Pot Roast With Vegetables
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- The cut of beef was usually what was on sale that week. And most of the time it was the seven bone variety or a nice big chunk of meat labeled pot roast.
- She’d sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper and then a good douse of flour.
- She’d sear the meat until brown on both sides, and then put it into the same inexpensive metal speckled oval roaster that she’d had forever.
- With the roaster uncovered, she’d cook the meat on the high temp for 20 minutes.
- She’d then remove roast and reduce the heat to 300 degrees.
- Layer in big chunks of potato, celery, onion and carrots. Ever so gently salt and pepper as you layer.
- Pour one cup of water over the vegetables, cover the roast and cook two – three torturous hours. I say torturous because the aromas will soon fill the air and those hunger pangs will go wild. The cook time will depend on the size of the roast. It’s done when it’s easily pulls apart.
Move the roast to a serving platter and spoon vegetables around. Tent with foil and let rest while you make the gravy.
How to Make Roast Beef Gravy
- Roast Beef gravy is so easy.
- In a container that you can seal and shake the heck out of, add 1/2 cup water and two tablespoons of flour.
- Move the Dutch oven with the drippings to the stove top.
- Bring it to a simmer. Add about two cups of water or beef broth.
- Add the flour and water mixture and simmer until thickened. You may need to shake up another batch of flour and water if gravy doesn’t thicken to your liking.
- There are usually a few chunks of potatoes and carrots stuck to the bottom and sides of the Dutch oven, make sure and smash those into the gravy. If none are stuck I’ll go get a couple of pieces from the platter and coarsely smash into the gravy.
Most often she’d serve this with Kansas Green Beans. What a great comfort food meal.
After moving to Denver, every trip home, we’d call mom to let her know we were about an hour away from arrival. I’d always ask, what’s for supper? Even though it wasn’t Sunday, the answer was always “Roast Beef”. She knew it was our favorite and it was a perfect end to a long road trip.
Pot Roast Dinner Recipe
I hope you give this old fashioned roast beef with gravy recipe a try, and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating. And leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.
And if you have a favorite pot roast dinner recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
More Roast Beef Dinner Recipes
- Peppery Beef Rib Roast
- Chile Rubbed Braised Beef Tacos
- Mexican Pot Roast
- Cooking A Four Rib Prime Rib Roast
And if you’re looking for more beef dinner recipes, don’t miss my Beef Category. You’ll find a ton of terrific recipes.
Good Old Fashioned Sunday Pot Roast Dinner. Compete with carrots and potatoes and pot roast gravy.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
- 2-3 pounds Beef Chuck Roast
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup water or beef broth
- 8 carrots washed, peeled, cut into large chunks
- 5 medium potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 Tablespoons flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Sprinkle the chuck roast with salt and pepper and dust with flour
Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the roast.
Brown the roast on two sides. About 3 minutes per side.
Add the water or broth to the Dutch Oven.
Cover and place roast in the oven.
In a container that you can seal and shake the heck out of, add 1/2 cup water and two tablespoons of flour.
After 1 1/2 hours add the potatoes and carrots around the roast. Cover and let cook an additional 1 1/2 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork.
Move the Dutch oven with the drippings to the stove top. Bring it to a simmer. Add about two cups of water or beef broth. Add the flour and water mixture and simmer until thickened. You may need to shake up another batch of flour and water if gravy doesn't thicken to your liking. There are usually a few chunks of potatoes and carrots stuck to the bottom and sides of the Dutch oven, make sure and smash those into the gravy. If none are stuck I'll go get a couple of pieces from the platter and coarsely smash into the gravy.
To serve, simply transfer roast to a serving platter and arrange vegetables around the roast. Serve the gravy in a gravy boat on the side.
You can also add celery and onions to the roast. Add them 1 1/2 hours into the cooking time.
What was on your Sunday dinner table?
Roast Beef with Gravy …It’s What’s For Sunday Dinner.
Tami says
November 22, 2010 at 2:50 pmIt is my favorite meal still. I can’t make it like my grandmother, however. Hers was unbelievable. I miss it almost as much as her.
Lea Ann says
November 22, 2010 at 5:20 pmTami I bet you can. Surely someone in the family could help fill in the blanks with her method. We’re both mid-west. Do you think it’s the flour thing?
pam says
November 22, 2010 at 3:01 pmI love these warnings. I try to imagine what lawsuit prompted them.
Lea Ann says
November 22, 2010 at 5:21 pmWell exactly Pam. The only reason those crazy things are there is because someone did it. Too funny.
Susan says
November 22, 2010 at 3:12 pmI find the concept of a specific meal for a specific day of the week to be quite novel and charming. This was never the case when I was growing up, and it doesn’t happen in my house now. I think the predictability wouldn’t go over very well, but if you crave rituals, I can see how it would be comforting.
That pot roast looks delicous!
Lea Ann says
November 22, 2010 at 5:23 pmThanks Susan. It was delicious. I only make it about once a year, along with my mom’s Fried Chicken which was a Saturday thing. 🙂 I always choose what I’m in the mood for, and I don’t hear anyone complain about what’s served. As always, thanks for stopping by and the comment.
Larry says
November 22, 2010 at 3:37 pmThe classic pot roast meal, it looks delicious. This looks just like the ones my grandma and mom did it except they would brown the meat first on the stove top, then add the water to deglaze the pan (except they never used that word), then add the other stuff. Your finished shot makes we want to run and see if I have a roast in the freezer, but I’d best just keep focused on turkey.
Lea Ann says
November 22, 2010 at 5:25 pmAnd I too have browned the meat before the roast. But always seem to go back to the flour thing. Just because I don’t see a lot of difference. It’s the slow cook that makes this so wonderful. I didn’t know the word “deglaze” until about 10 years ago. Didn’t realize I was so sophisicated until I knew what it meant. tee-hee. Ah…turkey, tis the season.
mick says
November 22, 2010 at 3:56 pmYUM! I love family traditions! When we were kids, Sunday was spaghetti day, this week I am already so sick of turkey (and had so much leftover) that we went out for Korean and gave the turkey to neighbors. Happy Holiday!
Lea Ann says
November 23, 2010 at 6:00 amI can only imagine how delicious that spaghetti was. I’m heading over tomorrow to get Tony’s brine and poultry rub. I won’t be sick of turkey until Sunday. 🙂
UrMomCooks says
November 22, 2010 at 6:29 pmLuv a meal tradition… I haven’t made pot roast in awhile – sounds really yummy on a night with a houseful of hungry people!
Lea Ann says
November 23, 2010 at 6:00 amI make it about twice a year. Such a yummy meal and with just the two of us lots of good leftovers.
Zia Liz says
November 22, 2010 at 7:54 pmMmmm… Zio’s mother makes a lovely pot roast that looks a lot like yours. I’ll have to try your method, it sounds easy and nice to have on a cold day when I’m painting the guest room. Thanks for a great post!
Lea Ann says
November 23, 2010 at 6:01 amMan, I need to paint the guest room. 😉
tasteofbeirut says
November 22, 2010 at 8:08 pmI love the title Sunday Pot roast; I can imagine the anticipation of that pot roast slowly braising on the stove!
Lea Ann says
November 23, 2010 at 6:02 amThanks Jourma
Vickie says
November 22, 2010 at 8:10 pmThis is such a homey meal – I love that your mom made it for you at the end of a journey. Mine always had a beef stew waiting.
Growing up, we didn’t have a specific dish on Sundays, but sometimes it was potroast. Quite often, Mom would fry a couple of chickens (complete with the giblets because we had a BIG family) and she’d make mashed potatoes and cream gravy on the side. That was my absolute favorite meal and I loved every piece. Seems like the little ones ( meaning me and the two younger ones) usually got a wing or a drumstick. I didn’t care, I just loved Mom’s crunchy breading. Nice memory.
Great post – I’m going to try adding flour next time to see what that does. 🙂
Lea Ann says
November 23, 2010 at 6:03 amFried Chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy is just the best! I make it about once a year and savour every bite.
Jillian says
November 22, 2010 at 8:11 pmWe love Pot Roast for Sunday dinner! It’s my girls’ favorite meal and the house smells so yummy when we get home. I usually pan sear my meat and put all the ingredients in the crock pot. Add some green beans, coleslaw, and rolls and you have a very feast! 🙂
Lea Ann says
November 23, 2010 at 6:04 amMy ex-mother in law always served cole slaw with her pot roast. I loved draging a piece of beef through the sweet sauce. Delicious.
Karen Harris says
November 22, 2010 at 8:31 pmFried or roast chicken was the thing when I was growing up. Today we usually throw something on the grill on Sundays unless there’s snow on the bbq. Thanks for sharing your memories.
Lea Ann says
November 23, 2010 at 6:04 amKaren, I usually save something sinfully good for Sundays, it’s my splurge day. 🙂
My Kitchen in the Rockies says
November 22, 2010 at 9:30 pmLove those smells from the oven. My aunt used to make a lot of pot roasts, too. Usually we were a big crowed and everybody was happy about the delicious meal. Thanks for sharing your memories.
Lea Ann says
November 23, 2010 at 6:05 amThanks Kirsten
My Carolina Kitchen says
November 23, 2010 at 4:20 amMy mother made something similar and, like your mom, always made it for us when we came home to visit. Brings back fabulous memories of home and the Ozzie and Harriet lifestyle we grew up in.
Hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving Lea Ann.
Sam
Lea Ann says
November 23, 2010 at 6:06 amI agree about the Ozzie and Harriet lifestyle. It did exist! 🙂
Joanne says
November 23, 2010 at 5:19 amHaha the thing is. Let’s say you were a sleepwalker. And thus did attempt to use your hair dryer while you were sleeping. You would have NO idea that you were doing it! Craziness.
I love a good pot roast. This sounds like some serious comfort food. So long as you don’t put it in the dish washer.
Lea Ann says
November 23, 2010 at 6:07 amToo funny Joanne. Craziness, I agree.
Patty says
November 23, 2010 at 8:03 pmLea Ann, Our Mom’s thought alike. We always had Pot Roast after church!! Must be a Salem thing! It was always ready when we got home. Have a great Thanksgiving.
Lea Ann says
November 25, 2010 at 6:12 amI spent enough time at your house, and I do remember that. Your mom was a good cook too.
Donna says
November 24, 2010 at 6:49 pmHappy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Kristi Rimkus says
November 24, 2010 at 8:40 pmMy mom had a terrific pot roast recipe too. It was a real treat in our house to have pot roast. I love your hair dryer warning! The next time I take my blow dryer to bed, I’ll think of you. Happy Thanksgiving!
Lea Ann says
November 25, 2010 at 6:13 amHappy Thanksgiving to you too Donna. and LOL Kristi. Now, let’s go eat some turkey!
Christine @ Fresh Local and Best says
November 26, 2010 at 11:02 amI tell you, common sense is not so common these days, which is why there needs to be so many disclaimers.
This Sunday pot roast would be my favorite too. It’s so hearty!
Lea Ann says
November 26, 2010 at 1:48 pmI agree Christine. There wouldn’t be a warning if someone hadn’t done it. As always thanks for stopping by and thecomment.
Barbara says
November 27, 2010 at 5:18 amListen, Lea Ann, after hearing someone on TV list the ridiculous questions asked about cooking turkeys (truly a shocking list), it doesn’t surprise me that those warnings are on our appliances!
Our Sunday suppers were roast chicken….Love reading about your memories.
Chris says
November 27, 2010 at 2:17 pmOur moms would scoff at our ovens with self cooking timer options, wouldn’t they?
This reminds me a lot of our Sunday “after service” dinners Lea Ann.
Hope you guys had a wonderful thanksgiving!
Lea Ann says
November 27, 2010 at 3:03 pmYes they would. I’m having a wonderful Thanksgiving. And more to come tomorrow. That’s right, two Thanksgiving feasts.
Karen Harris says
December 2, 2010 at 9:22 amThanks so much for voting Lea Ann! These challenges are so much fun, I just really hate the begging for votes thing.
Ingrid says
December 2, 2010 at 4:35 pmI bet it was yummy!